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How to use Chinese vegetables

Photograph by: Adrian Lam
, Times Colonist

VICTORIA -- Q. Chinatown has a huge selection of different vegetables that look super cool, but what are they and what can you do with them?

Lisa

A. Victoria's Chinatown does indeed offer a diverse selection of vegetables for sale. I can't write about them all, but here are some useful facts and suggestions for using six intriguing looking veggies.

To learn more about the uses for such exotic produce as bitter melon, lotus root or taro root, visit your favourite book store or library branch and peruse Asian and other cookbooks for recipes and additional preparation tips.

Gai Lan

This member of the brassica (cabbage) family is also called Chinese broccoli. It's similar to broccoli, but is sharper tasting, has thinner stems, more leaves and just a few unclustered florets. When purchasing, look for firm, crack-free stems with lively green leaves. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for two to three days; wash well just before using. To prepare, trim the lower part of the stems and leave whole or slice, depending on the recipe. Gai lan can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as steaming, stir-frying or simmering in a soup.

Bitter Melon

Also called bitter gourd, it looks like a bumpy cucumber. It's a fruit that's prepared like a vegetable. As its name suggests, it has a bitter taste, which becomes less intense as it ripens and its interior attains a reddish hue. The bitterness comes from the small amount of quinine that occurs naturally in bitter melon. It can be used in soups, curries and stir-fries.

King Oyster Mushrooms

This large, trumpet-shaped variety of oyster mushroom looks like it has been harvested from a forest but, like a white button mushroom, it is commercially cultivated. Its stem and cap is fairly firm and almost meaty tasting. This mushroom can be sliced and cooked as you would other mushrooms, in stir-fries, soups, braised dishes, stews and other creations. King oyster mushrooms can also be cooked whole, or cut in half lengthwise, using methods such as grilling or roasting.

Long Beans

These appropriately named pods are also called Chinese long beans and yard-long beans. They can be 18 centimetres or longer. They come from a different genus than the shorter, green beans sold at supermarkets, but this vegetable can be used in similar ways. Because of their length, long beans are usually cut into sections before using in salads, soups, stir-fries or any dish you think will benefit from the addition of a bright-green vegetable.

When purchasing, look for evenly coloured beans that are vibrant looking and flexible. Avoid those that are soft, limp and dry.

Taro Root

According to the New Food Lover's Companion, this starchy, potato-like tuber has a brown, fibrous skin and grey-white, sometimes purple-tinged flesh. It's native to Malaysia and can range from being a few centimetres in length to 30 cm or more. It is used in a number of the world's cuisine, including Caribbean, Polynesian, Indian and Chinese.

When purchasing, choose firm roots. Store them in a bag in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Taro root, which must be peeled and cooked, has a mild, nutlike flavour and is easy to digest. It can be prepared as you would a potato, by methods such as roasting, boiling and frying. One of the best known uses of taro root is poi, a traditional Hawaiian dish made by steaming and pounding the root to a pulp.

Lotus Root

Lotus root is the edible, underwater root (stem) of the lotus flower. It can be a metre or more in length and looks like a linked chain of oblong pods. Fresh sections of the root are what you'll see for sale. The root is peeled before using and has crisp flesh that some guides say has a taste between raw potato and fresh coconut. When you slice a lotus root, you'll see it has an interesting pattern of holes, which can add visual interest to a dish. Lotus root can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes and can be fried, steamed or boiled.

Place the first 10 ingredients in a pot, bring to a gentle simmer, and simmer 5 minutes. Add the gai lan, return to a simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until just tender. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl, and stir into soup. Return soup to simmer, and then add the tofu and heat through 2 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with green onions and serve.

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